This study examines the 2005 reunion of the Presbyterian Church of Korea’s Hapdong and Gaehyuk denominations as a case of ecclesial reconciliation within modern Korean Protestantism. While scholarship has often emphasised narratives of schism, this work reconstructs the historical, theological, and socio-political dynamics that produced repeated divisions and the pathways that enabled reunification. An integrated theoretical framework combines historical reconstruction, phenomenological hermeneutics, narrative identity, and contextualist intellectual history with theological analysis of the church, ecclesial communion, and reconciliation. Central attention is given to the leadership and repentant agency of Pastor Kyu-Oh Chung, long regarded as a principal figure behind nearly every major schism within Korean Presbyterianism. The very leader once associated with division became the agent of repentance and, by taking a prominent role at the forefront of the unity negotiations, decisively enabled the success of the 2005 “Union Principles Agreement.” Documentary sources identify the importance of union committees, mutual recognition among presbyteries and seminaries, and public reaffirmation of union at the 90th General Assembly.The study illustrates that reunion was theologically based on biblical themes of reconciliation and unity. It was institutionally based on negotiated recognition among seminaries, presbyteries, and the media, and politically in a public reaffirmation that confronted contemporary issues. The work contends that diversity in confession is compatible with unity. Open government and reciprocal recognition can sustain doctrinal integrity and cure the wounds inflicted on broken relationships. It offers an empirically nuanced and theoretically astute examination of Christian unity in Korea and argues that repentance, leadership, and institutional form function as essential mediators between theological principle and ecclesial practice. Building on these findings, it sets forth a mobile approach for post-conflict settlement churches, contending that humility, theological norms held in common, and incremental organizational integration can transform difference into durable unity with enduring significance for the global church.

This article exploresthe intellectual history and contributions of Ilyas Muhammad Ali to hadith scholarship in the Malay-Indonesian archipelago. As an educator, mufti, and lecturer, he played pivotal roles in Islamic education, notably founding and developing IAIN Pekanbaru and IAIN Padang. However, scholarly research onhis biography and academic legacy remains limited among bothlocal and international researchers. Employing a qualitative methodology, this study utilizes documentary analysis and structured interviews. Primary data sources include his work, Durusal-Ahadithal-Nabawiyah(1939),as well astestimonies from family members and former students. Findings indicate that Ilyas made significant contributions to Islamic education in West Sumatra, Aceh, and Riau, particularly through his compilation of a forty-hadith collection designed as instructional material for Islamic secondary schools and the general public. The systematization of his compilation includes the hadith number, thematic title, textual transmission (matn), exegetical commentary, and pedagogical values. His Arba’in primarily addresses core Islamic ethical principles, spanning individual moral development to societal and civic life. Consequently, this study affirms that Ilyas’s scholarly output and intellectual contributions were instrumental in fostering ethical consciousness and moral character within Muslim society, guiding adherents toward virtuous conduct across diverse spheres of life.

‘The Soul of Stones’ is a historical novel dealing with the medieval origins of the Way of St James. Published by Paloma Sánchez-Garnica in 2010, a time that we can identify as our present, it reflects a moment in which the Way of St James is clearly thriving as a “historical reality”. Using this as a starting point, this article examines how the Camino as portrayed in ‘The Soul of Stones’ constitutes a “historical reality” born from the medieval Inventio as “historical fiction”. Accordingly, we interpret the novel as one of the many expressions of the Way’s survival from the Middle Ages to the present, through its adaptation to today’s “rule of truth” or current social framework. To demonstrate this, we analyse: a) The contexts. On the one hand, the present-day context of the novel’s production and reception, in which the Camino exists in a specific way. On the other hand, the reimagined medieval context from which the Way would supposedly emerge; b) The author as part of the network that gives meaning to the Camino depicted in her novel; and c) The novel’s reception as the final stage in the transmission of this representation of the Way of St James found in ‘The Soul of Stones’. To this end, we employ Intellectual History and the History of the Present as our methodological bases.

ABSTRACT This paper adopts a polyphonic structure, examining a distinctive shift in late Derridean philosophy through three key concepts: religion, solitude, and life (−machine) – particularly in contrast to his early framework epitomized by différance or supplément. We synthesize these threads into what Derrida himself termed ‘mechanic deconstruction’. The first two sections focus on close readings of two late Derridean texts, Papier Machine and La bête et le souverain, Volume II, while the final section situates the possibility of a deconstructive life (−machine) within a broader intellectual history, drawing on contemporary scientific developments such as cybernetics. In the first section, we focus on Derrida’s claim that Catholicism functions as a mechanic religion, contextualizing this argument through a comparative reading of late Bergson’s mysticism. The second section interrogates the notion of ‘worldless solitude’ (solitude sans monde), interpreting it as a form of absolute finitude that transcends the traditional dichotomy between the finite and the infinite. Ultimately, we contend that this machine-like deconstruction – anticipated by Derrida – not only transcends his early logic of différance and its subsequent iterations in deconstructionist philosophies of technology (e.g. Bernard Stiegler’s), but also reframes pivotal questions in the history of philosophy.

This article analyses the representation of the Middle Ages and the Way of St James in the historical novel ‘The Pilgrim’s Secret’ by Peter Harris. To do so, it draws on the intellectual history concepts of “context” and “authorship”. This perspective leads us to propose that Peter Harris deliberately constructs in his novel a “bestselling Middle Ages”, and that the Camino de Santiago depicted in ‘The Pilgrim’s Secret’ carries autobiographical overtones.

The Aṣṭādaśa Purāṇas (the eighteen major Purāṇas) were essentially religious and cultural documents, some of them preserved mathematical concepts within their cosmology, astronomy, ritualism, architecture and chronology. This work discusses the mathematics in Purāṇic literature, with an emphasis on large numbers, place value (in positional number systems), units of measure including a section on time and introductory level geometry. The Purāṇas use cosmological time scales that are readily understandable to laypersons, unlike new units of time, such as microseconds. The ideas of space are evident in the representations (images) of altars, temples, mandalas and celestial spaces and those of number/ratio in ritual operations that would have been implicit evocations or calculations. Astronomical mathematics: planetary motions and time cyclesAstronomical mathematics, such as the study of planetary motion through time and comprising cycles, also demonstrates the intertwining of celestial reason with mathematical thought. Through exploring correspondences with these mathematical items, the paper makes a case for the Purāṇas to work not just as theological and mythological texts but also vehicles of scientific and mathematical learning in early India. This kind of interdisciplinary study highlights that the Purāṇic literature contributed to the early Indian mathematical tradition and intellectual history.

This essay presents a reflective intellectual history of the author’s engagement with Islamic studies, specifically the challenges and insights inherent in a non-Muslim attempting to interpret (tafsīr) the Qur’an. Drawing upon decades of scholarship at the Australian National University and fieldwork in Cairo and Indonesia, Johns articulates the hermeneutical difficulty of accessing the “tone and colouring” of the Islamic revelation from outside the faith community. The narrative traces the author’s methodological turn to a literary and phenomenological appreciation of the Qur’an as a recited, oral text. Key turning points in this hermeneutical journey include the realization of the distinct nature of Islamic “salvation history”—contrasted with Biblical narratives, particularly through the story of Joseph (Yūsuf)—and the discovery of the internal coherence of the Qur’an. The essay emphasizes that understanding the Qur’an requires moving beyond textual translation to experiencing its recited reality and accepting its prophetic narratives on their own terms, independent of Judeo-Christian antecedents. Ultimately, the work argues for an empathetic scholarship that bridges the “familiar” (shared prophetic figures) and the “remote” (distinctive Islamic theology) to foster inter-religious understanding.

The decline of scientific tradition in the contemporary Islamic world indicates an epistemological disconnect between the classical scientific heritage and the development of modern science. The current educational paradigm tends to be imitative and separated from the spiritual, rational, and empirical values that once served as the foundation of Islamic scientific glory. This study aims to analyze the thoughts of Al-Kindi and Ar-Razi as two central figures representing rationalism and empiricism in the classical Islamic scientific tradition. The approach used is a qualitative literature study method using primary data in the form of books and articles adopted from the works of both figures and supporting secondary data in the form of books on Islamic intellectual history, studies of the philosophy of science, and scientific articles. The results show that Al-Kindi developed deductive rationalism that combines reason and revelation, while Ar-Razi emphasized inductive empiricism based on observation and experimentation. The synthesis of these two approaches forms an epistemological framework that balances theoretical reasoning and empirical verification, which then becomes the basis of the modern scientific method. This study emphasizes the importance of re-internalizing the critical spirit, intellectual autonomy, and orientation towards the welfare of the people in reviving the scientific tradition in the Islamic world, while contributing to contemporary Islamic philosophy by offering a model of epistemological integration relevant to education and research.

While Rāvaṇa’s enduring legacy spans the religious, political, and intellectual histories of South Asia, it is in the realm of literature that his presence especially remains dynamic, inspiring a vast and heterogeneous corpus across both classical and vernacular traditions. His sole extant poetic composition, the Śivatāṇḍavastotra (ŚTS), widely venerated as a devotional hymn to Lord Śiva, stands as a singular testament to his poetic genius and continues to resonate beyond the confines of sectarian Śaiva devotion. This study reconsiders Rāvaṇa’s literary agency by undertaking a close textual analysis of the ŚTS, presenting a concise scholarly translation of its most widely circulated version alongside a review of variant stanzas drawn from several previously unpublished manuscripts. Through a reception-theoretical lens, this paper briefly explores the hymn’s transmission history and interpretive flexibility, revealing the ŚTS as a site of devotional intensity, aesthetic sophistication, and layered meaning. Ultimately, the research affirms Rāvaṇa’s stature as a cultural and literary figure whose poetic expression continues to provoke scholarly interest and devotional engagement across linguistic, historical, and spiritual contexts.

This article explores the cultural diplomacy and ideological outreach of the Institute of Roman Studies (Istituto di Studi Romani) toward the Baltic States, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, during the late 1930s. Founded in 1925 in Fascist Italy, the Institute promoted Romanità, or the ideal of Roman cultural continuity, and aimed to make Latin a revived international scholarly language. Using archival documents, the study details how the Institute pursued connections in the Baltics through diplomatic channels, university partnerships, and direct correspondence with local scholars. While geopolitical upheaval and the onset of World War II curtailed these efforts, the article situates them within the broader strategies of Italian soft power and the transnational intellectual history of classical studies. It also suggests that, absent war and occupation, classical philology in the Baltic region might have developed along very different trajectories.

Abstract A government differs from a robber, but they share the common feature of initiating coercion. This similarity has been noticed by libertarians as well as within a distinct scholarly tradition and as a recurring theme throughout Western philosophy. Twentieth‐century political economists have employed this comparison to understand state formation and institutional behaviour. Philosophers from ancient Greece to the Enlightenment have recognised the fundamental similarities between governmental and criminal coercion in the context of examining questions of legitimacy and justice. The government–robber comparison has been an analytical tool of accepted standing throughout Western intellectual history that deserves contemporary consideration.

Book Review: Christof-Füchsle, Martin, and Razak Khan, eds. Nodes of Translation: Intellectual History Between Modern India and Germany. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 2024.

The present article examines Bertha von Suttner's theoretical main work, "The Machine Age" ("Das Maschinenzeitalter") as a key text in her intellectual development and as a fundamental document of early pacifist, humanist, and feminist ideas. It analyzes her sociological and cultural-philosophical worldview, the structure and argumentative strategies of her work, as well as its significance for the political and intellectual history of the late 19th century. The article demonstrates that Suttner's conceptual framework was deeply influenced by contemporary scientific discourses, particularly the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin, the sociological models of Herbert Spencer and the monistic philosophy of Ernst Haeckel. The writer reinterprets these scientific paradigms and integrates them into a comprehensive vision of social evolution, moral progress, and the possibility of a peaceful future. The study focuses on the reconstruction of the nine chapters of "The Machine Age", which are presented as popular-scientific lectures. It is highlighted that in this work Suttner not only offers a precise critique of the institutions of her time but simultaneously develops a positive utopian countermodel. Her text emerges as a new literary form of pacifism, aimed at transforming prevailing social conceptions. In conclusion, the analysis demonstrates that the theme of war constitutes a central problem within her entire philosophy of progress. War is interpreted through reference to scientific concepts and principles, which appears as a fundamental contradiction to the natural evolution of humanity. This synthesis of sociological analysis, scientific justification, and moral-philosophical orientation reveals the enduring significance of Suttner's views, which is particularly relevant in the 21st century against the backdrop of technological development and global conflicts.

Urdu literature holds a central place in the intellectual and cultural history of South Asia, serving as a vital site of colonial and postcolonial discourse. During colonial rule, it was shaped by Western modernity, rationalism, and reformist narratives, while simultaneously engaging with questions of identity, freedom, and resistance. Postcolonial theorists such as Edward Saeed, Homi Bhabha, Gayatri Spivak, and Frantz Fanon exposed the cultural and psychological dimensions of empires. It offers insights that resonate with Urdu reformists like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Shibli Nomani, Hali, and Deputy Nazir Ahmad, who sought moral and social renewal. Muhammad Iqbal, however, went further by directly challenging colonial power and transforming anti-colonial thought into a spiritual and intellectual movement. After independence, Urdu literature continued to nurture ideals of selfhood, freedom, and cultural sovereignty, evolving into both an aesthetic tradition and a record of resistance. This study brings together the concepts of colonialism, postcolonialism, neo-colonialism, and decoloniality to clarify their intellectual and critical significance for understanding Urdu literature within broader global debates on power, culture, language, memory, and historical consciousness today identity resistance.

Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi stands as one of the most influential pioneers of Sindhi journalism, whose contributions played a decisive role in shaping political awareness, national consciousness, and intellectual resistance during the colonial period. This study examines his journalistic services through the critical lens of the newspapers Al-Ameen, Al-Haq, and Al-Waheed, which served as powerful platforms for articulating Muslim identity, advocating social justice, and mobilizing public opinion in Sindh. Through Al-Ameen, Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi laid the foundations of value-based journalism by promoting ethical responsibility, Islamic principles, and social reform. Al-Haq emerged as a bold voice against British colonial rule, emphasizing truth, justice, and the political rights of Muslims, thereby introducing a tradition of resistance journalism in Sindh. Al-Waheed, his most influential publication, became a central organ for political awakening, Muslim nationalism, and the Pakistan Movement, offering ideological clarity and fostering unity among Sindhi Muslims. The abstract highlights how Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi transformed journalism from mere reportage into a dynamic instrument of socio-political change. His editorials, analytical writings, and fearless stance against oppression significantly contributed to the development of modern Sindhi political thought. The study concludes that his journalistic legacy not only strengthened the foundations of Sindhi journalism but also played a vital role in the broader freedom movement of the subcontinent, leaving a lasting impact on the intellectual and political history of Sindh.

Goal: By presenting these letters in the current research phase and in the manner presented in this paper, the primary goals, compared to previous research, are to point out in more detail the connection between Kreševljaković and Patsch and to complement knowledge about the problems that accompanied creation in BH and Yugoslav historiography, one of the quite controversial work Poviest hrvatskih zemalja Bosne i Hercegovine od najstarijih vremena do godine 1463 (The history of the Croatian lands of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the earliest times to the year 1463). Approach: This paper contextualizes and presents two letters that BH historian Hamdija Kreševljaković sent to his colleague archaeologist and historian Carl Patsch in 1939. Through the paper, it was pointed out their cooperation at the beginning of the 20th century, which took place under the auspices of the Institute for the Study of the Balkans, which was founded in Sarajevo by Patsch. Special attention was given to the second letter which was sent by Kreševljaković to Patsch at the end of May in 1939, and in which he offers to write a chapter on the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Roman period for Napredak’s history. The letters are compared with other available sources and literature. Results: Presented and published letters have not been previously used in research. By publishing the complete text of the letters, they will become more accessible and usable in future research processes. Other research results may be useful when researching the topics that the author glanced upon in this paper Limits: The aim of this paper is not to offer any major conclusions regarding the intellectual connections between Bosnian and Herzegovinian researchers and foreign researchers in the interwar period, nor to deal in detail with Kreševljaković’s and Patsch’s intellectual profile. Although the letters have a potential for that kind of thing, they should be viewed in the wider context of the preserved correspondence of Kreševljaković and Patsch, but also other contemporaries, which was not done on this occasion. Originality/value: By publishing and commenting on the correspondence, a better insight is obtained to the intellectual history of the period to which the letters are related. In this sense, the main contribution of this type is precisely directed movement towards larger processing of correspondence, which could ultimately result in major conclusions.

The idea of progress constitutes a foundational, self-justifying myth of modernity. This paper explores the conservative critique of this myth, tracing its intellectual history and diagnosing its contemporary consequences. It argues that the progressive narrative is not a scientific fact but a secularized eschatology that has evolved into a form of technocratic rationalism rooted in a materialist metaphysics. The analysis examines the culmination of this worldview in transhumanism and diagnoses it, following Martin Heidegger, as a symptom of the “forgetting of Being” (Seinsvergessenheit). In contrast, the paper outlines the conservative alternative, which is not a simple return to the past but a reorientation toward a “vertical” dimension of existence grounded in Tradition, the symbolic cosmos, and a transcendent order. Ultimately, the paper frames the conservative stance as a form of metaphysical guardianship—an existential practice of “remembrance of Being” that keeps open the possibility of transcendence in an age of ontological nihilism.

Introduction. The relevance of this study stems from the need to analyze the continuity of thought in the development of global and Russian humanities. The purpose of this article is to trace the influence of M. M. Bakhtin’s ideas on the works of G. D. Gachev, primarily on his multi-volume series (cycle) of books “National Images of the World”. The author examines G. D. Gachev’s reception of M. M. Bakhtin’s creative legacy, integrating this reception into the general context of intellectual history and the history of ideas. Materials and Methods. The study’s material includes texts by M. M. Bakhtin and G. D. Gachev, as well as those of foreign philosophers: E. Husserl, P. Ricoeur, W. Dilthey, M. Heidegger and others. The author uses methods of source analysis, systematization, generalization, and comparative analysis. Results and Discussion. The article emphasizes that M. M. Bakhtin and G. D. Gachev demonstrate an affinity for the synthetic combination of various methods and disciplines, primarily philosophy and philology; both of them partly worked within the framework of hermeneutics. The literary criticism mode in Gachev’s cycle “National Images of the World” is not relegated to the background, but is inscribed in a broader methodological and generally more complex polydiscursive context – primarily cultural-philosophical. M. M. Bakhtin constructs his concepts as an element of cultural philosophy. G. D. Gachev adopts his cultural-philosophical interest in analyzing national images of the world, in composing “humanitarian commentaries” on the natural sciences, etc. In G. D. Gachev, the empiricism of the “I” often prevails over the essence of the “I”. However, such an intensification of mere empiricism of the “I” does not yet signify a victory over the conventions of “fatal theorism” (M. M. Bakhtin’s term). The author concludes that both thinkers (especially G. D. Gachev) largely belong to the realm of heterodox and post-scientific thought. Conclusion. The article contributes to the comparative study of the work of M. M. Bakhtin and the humanities scholars who were directly influenced by him, as well as his students. It is of interest to scholars studying the methodology of the humanities, as well as to researchers of the creative legacy of M. M. Bakhtin and G. D. Gachev.

The classification of knowledge has been a central concern in Islamic intellectual history, evolving from an Aristotelian framework to an indigenous model shaped by revelation and monotheistic epistemology. This study traces this historical development from early Muslim scholars such as Jābir ibn Ḥayyān to later figures such as Quṭb al-Dīn Shīrāzī. It highlights the shifting criteria and hierarchies of scientific classification. By using library research within a qualitative research framework and historical-philosophical approach, the study analyzes primary Arabic and Persian texts (e.g., al-Fārābī’s Iḥṣā’ al-‘Ulūm, Ibn Sīnā’s al-Shifā’) alongside secondary sources through thematic and comparative analysis to map taxonomic patterns across centuries. Key findings reveal a progression from subject-based divisions (e.g., ‘Alī’s fourfold classification) to multidimensional models integrating rational, transmitted, and mystical sciences, prioritizing interdependence over disciplinary isolation. These Islamic models offer enduring insights for interdisciplinary dialogue, modern information science, and civilizational knowledge policy, recommending future exploration of Qur’anic and hadith-based criteria to enrich global epistemology.

This study examines the borrowing behavior of Category B (philosophy-related) books at the Nanjing Normal University Library over the period 2016-2024, drawing on circulation records encompassing 21,842 readers, 39,079 books, and 169,415 loan transactions. Employing a mixed-methods approach integrating Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), moderated regression analysis, and subject term cluster analysis, this research investigates how time-space-interest (TSI) shape borrowing behavior, with renewal intention and gender serving as moderating variables. PCA extracted three principal components: F1 (encompassing TSI dimensions), F2 (comprising T1/S1/S indicators), and F3 (focusing on B9/T1 subject categories), which were used for longitudinal analysis across three distinct periods: 2016-2018, 2019-2021, and 2022-2024. SEM results revealed the evolving central role of TSI in influencing borrowing behavior: transitioning from a time-dominated model (2016-2018) to a space-prioritized framework (2019-2021), and ultimately to a fully integrated TSI model (2022-2024) where all three dimensions exhibited factor loadings greater than 0.5. Moderated regression analysis indicated that renewal intention negatively moderated the impact of TSI on LogTotal (borrowing volume) during the 2016-2018 and 2022-2024 periods, whereas gender positively moderated this relationship in 2019-2021—with the effect being more pronounced among female readers. Additionally, male readers demonstrated higher overall borrowing volumes with greater variability compared to their female counterparts. Subject term cluster analysis identified core research themes, including Chinese philosophy and Sino-Western intellectual history, as well as emerging interdisciplinary trends such as the intersection of philosophy and digital humanities. The findings of this study offer empirical insights to inform the development of library resource allocation strategies and equity-focused services tailored to the diverse needs of library users, while pioneering a new pathway for integrating reading therapy into the mental health education of college students.